GLENCOE, IL (April 23, 2014) – Bold, beautiful images of blossoms and moths – the works of acclaimed artists Paul Lange and Joseph Scheer – are providing visitors to the Chicago Botanic Garden rare insights into the wonders of nature. Lange’s “Big Blooms” series will be exhibited at the Krehbiel Gallery through Sunday, June 15, while Scheer’s innovative moth prints can be seen in the Joutras Gallery through Sunday, August 17.

New York fashion photographer Lange first turned his lens toward flowers ten years ago and, in 2006, began documenting an idyllic farm near his Hudson Valley home. “Big Blooms” – one of four series in the “50 Acres Project” - depicts the style and grace of poppies, peonies, roses and other flowers, capturing the unique personality of each blossom in a formal portrait. Lange explains, “Working with concepts of size, scale and gesture, I coax each of my botanical subjects to display some whimsically anthropomorphic characteristic that evokes a feminine persona.”

The farm and garden estate, owned by acclaimed New York City florist Zezé, has also inspired the “Fowl Portraits,” “Paradisus” and “Disturbed Paradise” series, as Lange searches for new ways to relate to and represent the garden in his transition to fine art photographer from editorial and celebrity photographer featured in Vogue, Glamour, the New York Times and other publications.

Artistic innovation is also reflected in The Hidden Beauty of Moths, an exhibition on display in the Joutras Gallery showcasing the work by Joseph Scheer, a pioneer in the use of extreme-resolution scanners. Scheer, a professor of print media at Alfred University’s School of Art and Design in western New York, says he uses technology to reexamine nature and refers to his body of work as “imaging biodiversity.” The digital images are printed on a mulberry bark paper called “Cloud Dragon” that the artist brought back from China. The high-resolution images are composed on these delicate fibrous papers, creating an unusual viewing experience and revealing the exquisite features and magnificent colors of moths, insects on the fringe of human awareness.

Admission to both exhibitions is free, although the usual parking restrictions apply.

Mission statement: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 26 distinct gardens and four natural areas. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply; parking fees apply. Located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, IL, the Garden is smoke free. Opened to the public in 1972, the Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society, accredited by the American Association of Museums and a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is the 12th largest tourist attraction in Chicago and is the area’s sixth largest cultural institution. Visit chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden offers classes for students from ages preK through adulthood through the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School. The hands-on learning programs are for people of all ages, abilities, interests, and backgrounds. Adult education classes include horticulture, garden design, nature studies, and botanical arts for all levels of interest. Other programs bring the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens, and teachers. The Garden’s community gardening programs provide access to fresh produce in Chicago’s food desert communities and training in sustainable urban agriculture for youth and adults. The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center provides laboratories and teaching facilities for more than 200 Ph.D. scientists, land managers, students, and interns whose research is critical to fulfilling the Garden’s efforts to save our planet by saving our plants. The Science Career Continuum serves minority students from Chicago Public Schools and throughout the region, mentoring them as they prepare for science studies in college and beyond. In conjunction with Northwestern University, the Garden offers a graduate program in plant biology and conservation with Northwestern University. The Garden is host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation.